Question 1

What does Luke 4:28 mean?

Accepted Answer

Luke 4:28 describes how everyone in the synagogue became extremely angry when they heard what Jesus said. The verse highlights the strong, emotional reaction of the people listening to Jesus in their place of worship. In this scene, Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience in the synagogue of Nazareth, his hometown. He has just finished reading from the prophet Isaiah and then made comments that challenged their expectations and pride. The people’s anger is not mild; the verse uses language that points to a deep, intense wrath, setting the stage for their later attempt to drive Jesus out of town.

Question 2

The Greek behind Luke 4:28

Accepted Answer

ὀργή (transliteration: orgē, translated here as "wrath") means a strong, passionate anger. In this context, it suggests the people were not just annoyed but deeply outraged, which helps explain their extreme reaction in the following verses. ἐπλήσθησαν (transliteration: eplēsthēsan, translated as "were filled") often carries the sense of being completely overtaken or controlled by something. Here, it shows that their anger was overwhelming, not just a passing feeling.

Question 3

Why Luke 4:28 matters

Accepted Answer

This verse clears up any idea that Jesus’s words were received calmly or with mild disagreement; the reaction was immediate and intense. The strong anger of the synagogue crowd helps explain why the following verses describe an attempt to harm Jesus, showing how threatening his message was to their sense of identity. Luke 4:28 connects to the wider passage by marking a turning point in Jesus’s relationship with his hometown, highlighting the cost of speaking hard truths.

Luke 4:28 (KJV)